whens the right time to part loan?

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hamish1

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Hi everyone,
i just wanted some opinions on when you think you've had enough experience to part loan. ive been riding for almost a year allthough didnt have to start from scratch as still rememberd how to trot from when i used to ride as a child. I'm confident in my lessons,canter, jump and been on a few hacks. I usually have 2 lessons a week and help out 1day a week for experience in horse care.Would love to be able to part loan a safe, fun horse. Just basically wondered how hard you think it would be to find a suitable horse for someone part loaning for the first time.
thanks :)
 
It really depends upon what you mean by part loan as the definition of share/part loan/loan does vary a bit.

I think that if you are stable and in control in all three paces and have some horse care experience then you could look for a share as long as you are honest that you are a novice and ensure that you will have support such as supervision with the horse until you have got used to it and are able to continue having lessons, have some company when hacking in case of problems etc.

To be honest though there is a lot to learn at a good riding school and I think you will probably enjoy horse loaning more when you are more experienced. So why not continue with your lessons, do some more hacks and jumping, maybe some little competitions and take a horse care course to build your knowledge and experience.

The more you learn about horses the more you realise that there is still tonnes to learn. I've been riding for over 25 years and I'm still learning!

Talk to your instructor about it too as they can actually see your riding.
 
Well, there's loads of part loans or shares available at the moment, and there seem to be plenty of safe cobs around too. I think that you can learn a lot at riding schools, and admitedly i was riding for about 10 years before i got my first part loan, but i didn't really learn to 'feel' or relax on a hack, or to deal with unexpected problems until i got him. I think there is a lot of benefit to having a horse to work on and improve either them or yourself or both, and even if you found a completely safe plod to hack about on i think it could do the world of good. Also you could have lessons on the same horse and grow together. It's hard to find a consistent way of riding when you are on different horses all the time, although this does have benefits.

You will never know until you try, but as above if you are ok in walk trot and canter, have been on lots of different things and not just the same horse all the time (else you might be in for a shock when you go to share!) then it might be worth ringing up a few to see what the owners think. I know some owners are perfectly happy for a novice rider to hack out their horse or pootle around the school. Just be sure to be honest and do not exagerate how good you are. And be prepared to be knocked back a few times, as many horses would not be suitable for a novice.
 
Personally I would go for it now! Exciting. However, when you ring up or look for possible places, be ABSOLUTELY honest about what you have done. Do not say you can handle a variety of horses, as school horses know their job and whilst i can appreciate some school horses can be tricker than others, riding a horse that gets ridden once a day is a whole different matter to one in a riding school.

Besides, this time round you will have no one there to guide you. That's another thing, definitely worth finding a freelance instructor and get some lessons for the first few weeks of your new share. This will set you up and help no end.

Lastly, there will be plenty of people who can offer nice safe horses and can be there to help, as they need a help with the chores and their horses ridden a bit more... So keep looking until you have found your perfect ideal situation. Don't settle for anything less, as it wont work out as half as well if you hold on for the perfect match (and that includes the owner too...)

Last thing to mention is goodluck...! lol

xxx
 
thanks some great advice there really appriciate it. I know what you mean when you say its different when theres no one telling you what to do as rode a friends horse(who dosnt live close so unfortunatly cudn't help her with hers) and found it was strange to have the freedom of making up your own lessons so to speak. Definatly think having lessons on the horse especially to begin with is a good idea. And yes I try and ride a different horse each time, have ridden 13.2's to 17.2's, and am quite lucky in that there are some horses that can be quite flighty and sometimes tricky to ride-but can also imagine that riding those horses with no guidence could be v.scary. Also was a very good point about riding school horses being riden alot and knowing their job, will definatly speak to instuctor about whether I'm ready. And will be honest about my abbilities if i am. Did wonder what the difference between a share and part loan was? thanks again :) x
 
Is it worth talking to your instructor about whether they ever part-loan any of the school horses? My first pony was in working livery for the first 4 years or so I had her and I'm pretty sure getting 3+ lessons a week on her and having instructors around all the time (especially to rescue me when she tanked off out hacking...) was incredibly beneficial!
 
FionaMc said:
Is it worth talking to your instructor about whether they ever part-loan any of the school horses? My first pony was in working livery for the first 4 years or so I had her and I'm pretty sure getting 3+ lessons a week on her and having instructors around all the time (especially to rescue me when she tanked off out hacking...) was incredibly beneficial!
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hi
thats a v.good point and like the idea of doing that ALOT :) -not sure if they do it but its worth an ask! i know theres alot of factors to consider but any idea of how much you'd be expected to pay-excluding lessons?
thanks x
 
hamish1 said:
hi
thats a v.good point and like the idea of doing that ALOT :) -not sure if they do it but its worth an ask! i know theres alot of factors to consider but any idea of how much you'd be expected to pay-excluding lessons?
thanks x
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Goodness knows! It's a very long time since we were in working livery (long enough go that my parents paid and I had no idea how much it cost them) And now I have a very distorted view of various livery costs having mine in London on full livery. The cost will vary hugely depending on whether you go DIY, they're in working, full or part livery, how many days a week you ride, where in the country you are etc.

Whenever I've had a sharer they've just paid half of my livery costs. I've always continued to pay for shoes, vets bills, insurance, etc. Some others will probably be able to give an actual estimate!
 
Not sure if this helps, but, I'm now in my second month of loaning my horse. I'd been having one lesson a week for around 18months, but before then had never ridden, and was scared of horses, so I knew NOTHING!

I could walk, trot, canter (although canter can still be a bit dodgy, lol) and had started to do some small cross poles. I was really lucky, as Tara was being kept near me, but wasn't being ridden. I was able to hack her out a few times (my first hacks! Soooo different to a school!) before her owner asked if I'd like to loan her. I was very, very clear about my lack of experience, but I have a lot of knowledgeable people on hand, and her owner has been fab - even walking with me on a solo hack! I haven't moved Tara, so essentially nothing's changed for her, apart from she's getting ridden and pampered more.

I've learnt so much in the last few months. My confidence has increased enormously, and someone said earlier this week that I looked much more comfortable and "right" with Tara.

On the downside, I've sacrificed my weekly lessons to pay for her bed and board. I really want to start having lessons on her, but as there is no school where she is kept, I'm struggling. However, I'm going to make it my summer mission to sort this out, and either find a school to rent, or get a trailer sorted, so we'll be ready for some fun rides!

Long waffly post, when what I was really going to say was go for it! As long as you find the right horse, and have enough support you won't regret it!
 
I think it all depends on finding the right horse. A privately owned horse will get a lot less work, when it's worked it will be in more unpredictable environments (e.g. hacks) and there won't be anyone there to advise you so problems can escalate. Having said that, the right horse could be a joy! There is no harm in looking and seeing what is available near you. Be honest about your abilities and always see the owner ride first and then try the horse out in an enclosed school before going on a hack (people looking to loan out their horses are usually honest about their quirks but you never know!).
 
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